Zuko's POV:

I watched as Katara glared up at Sokka, I didn't want to come between the siblings and I didn't want to leave Katara after all that has happened but I knew what I had to do, "Katara, it's fine. I have to go back to get uncle anyway." I look away from them as I said this, I was ashamed about leaving my uncle there on his own to likely be taken to a prison in the capital. I've been a rotten nephew, I need to make it up to him, I need to get him out of there. Despite him doing this on his own and making his own choice to stay back to help the rest of us get away I can't help but to beat myself up for letting it happen, everything happened so fast, there was no time to think. Now that I can comprehend what has happened I know what I need to do and I will die trying if I have to.

"Zuko." I look to Katara who is now glaring at me, it's nice seeing her this fierce, not just because she's beautiful when she's mad but-… Wait… did I just think she's beautiful, I mean its not like its not true but I shouldn't be thinking about her like this. "Zuko!" I snap out of my thoughts to focus on Katara once more, "Zuko, you can't go… especially not alone! They will take you too! They might even take you and your uncle to the other prisons if they know you're trying to help him escape!"

I glare back at her a little unsure if it would scare her or not considering she has just gotten back to what seems to be her normal behaviour, "Katara I can't leave him to rot in a cell. He has always been there for me despite my horrible behaviour. I need to help him, I can't sit here and do nothing, I shouldn't have left him there."

I felt hands on mine and I looked down to see she has reached out and taken my hands in hers, "Zuko, we will help you get him back. It may not happen right away but it will happen and we will all come out of it free and alive. Please don't leave and try to do this on your own, please!"

I sigh and nod, "Alright, I'll stay." Though I knew I couldn't keep my word I didn't want to argue. I decided to sit quietly and plan how I will get away without anyone noticing and how I would rescue my uncle.

Katara's POV:

I make a mental note to check on Zuko when we are able to talk alone. I know his uncle meant a lot to him even though he never really expressed it until now. I feel horrible that we had to leave General Iroh alone to be taken and I too want to help him escape but we need to do so with a plan and together if we want to be successful.

As we got closer to my father's crew I got more and more conflicting feelings that were directed to my dad. I've always had these feelings of hurt towards my dad for leaving my brother and I after my mother was taken. After everything that has happened now I also have these feelings of longing to finally see him again. I want to be mad at him but I also can't help but to want to cry in happiness in being able to see him again and knowing he is not an illusion.

I turn to Sokka before we started to descend, "Sokka, how did you guys find Appa?" I was so relieved to see Appa was okay. I'm sure everyone was happy to see him again after our long search for him.

Sokka smiled at me, "We never found him anywhere, he found us. We're not sure where he was taken but he's back."

Zuko looks away as if trying to ignore or avoid the topic. I smile at him, "Zuko… do you know anything about this?" He looked back at me awkwardly and nodded.

"At first I had went to take him for myself to lure the Avatar to me… But… I couldn't. Then…the night after I found you…" He looked me in the eyes when he said this all meaning and truth shining in his eyes.

Sokka's face was priceless as he watched us before it became serious, "Katara… what happened? Who took you, where did they take you and what did they do to you?"

I shake my head, "It doesn't matter… it's a long story, I'll tell you later." I looked down and as I do I suddenly realize something… my bending…its back! With all of the excitement of the events going on around us I never realized I was able to bend again, the marks on my wrists were going away! I smile in triumph as I look to Zuko, my brother and then back to Zuko, "My bending! It's back!" I smile excitedly at them as Sokka and Toph look confused and Zuko looks just as happy as I feel.

Zuko grabs my hands and looks down at my wrists, "Really? Katara that's great! In all of the excitement I never even thought about the fact you were bending."

I smiled and nodded, "Me neither. Now I can heal Aang and myself. I'm no longer a weak burden I can help you all and protect Jia and myself."

Zuko scoffs, "Katara you are far from weak or a burden."

Sokka decides to cut in at this, "Katara you're one of the strongest people I know what do you mean you're weak! C'mon you got your magic water and everything and you don't let anyone walk over you and that is far from weak or a burden. Now can you explain to me where the kid came from and everything we missed since you were taken?"

I smile, "I'll tell you what happened later." I smile down at Jia and hold her up so the others could see her and she could see them, "Jia this is Sokka, Toph and Aang." As I say this I hold her up to the person I'm introducing her to, except Aang who was unconscious. Jia giggled as she felt the wind on her face as she lifted her hands in the air and squealed.

Sokka smiled, "Well..you are very cute Jia, but where did you come from?" He looked pointedly at me as Appa got closer to where my dad and his crew were hiding.

"I said I will tell you later Sokka." I looked in front of us as we came up to the beach and were greeted by my dad's crew. I hand Jia to Zuko so that I can climb down, once I'm down I turn back to take Jia back from him and then move back so he and Sokka can carefully bring Aang down.

They carry Aang to their ship and get him settled in a room before coming back out so that they can help Toph and I with our belongings and hiding Appa. When Sokka comes back our dad comes out as well, he comes up to us and his eyes immediately go to me and Jia then to Zuko. You can almost see the thoughts running through his mind in his eyes. I hand Jia back to Zuko once more and Sokka and I run up to our dad and hug him, Sokka not realizing what he was staring at asks him if he was ok.

Dad snaps out of his thoughts but instead of answering Sokka or talking to us at all he marches over to Zuko and Jia. My eyes widen and I quickly make my way up to them and grab my dad's arm as he points his opposite hand at Zuko, "What the hell did you do to my daughter!"

Sokka comes up and grabs dad's other arm, "Dad calm down. Zuko never did anything to Katara as far as I know he helped her, a lot!"

Dad quickly stops and turns to Sokka, "What do you mean as far as you know?" Clearly he didn't know why Sokka didn't know either.

I let go of his arm and sigh, "I need to explain to all of you what has happened since I was taken. Now leave Zuko alone."

Dad sighed and turned to me, "Fine. I can't promise that I will keep my hands to myself after I find out what has happened but until you tell me… I will."

Zuko instantly relaxed and sighed in relief I smiled at him in reassurance I know my dad can be overprotective and scary so I didn't want him thinking he had to watch his back because once I explain I'm sure my dad will understand and wouldn't want to hurt him anymore.

We all walk together to the gathering area my father and his crew had set up, nothing too complicated just some logs to sit on around a fire. We all sat down, Jia giggled and reached to me as Zuko came to sit by me. Sokka led Toph to a log opposite of where we sat and my father sat on the log in the between us, our logs were in a semi circle so we could all face each other. Once we were all settled everyone turned to me.

"I guess I should start by saying this…" I turned to Zuko and took Jia from him, "This is Jia…it's a cover name. She was in the place I was taken to with her mother. Her mother was taken away and is most likely dead right now but I had promised her I would take care of her daughter if anything happened and would take her with me when I got out of that horrible place. As for the horrible place… it was a fire nation prison like no other. I've learned a lot from being there…One of them being….Well…" Before I could finish Jia giggled and floated up trying to follow a butterfly that flew by.

Zuko quickly stood and grabbed her before saying, "And you're a handful aren't you?" I laughed as he acted exasperated and the others stared at us amazed. I didn't know what to do or say.

Sighing I smile at the others, "The place I was taken to had prisoners of all nations, prisoners who can bend as well as those who can't. Jia's mother's ancestors were from the air nomads that were wiped out, the people who Aang grew up around."

Sokka fell over in shock and ended up falling off the log and landing behind it with his feet straight in the air. My father and Toph just looked flabbergasted by what was said and I couldn't blame them, this is a whole new hope for a better world in the future when this war is ended.